Now when Jesus saw, &c.— Now Jesus, perceiving the crowd about him, gave orders to depart, &c. Though our Saviour had retired into the wilderness after the cure of the leper, mentioned Luke 5:12 the people, excited by the fame of that miracle, came to him from every quarter; wherefore, that he might effectually avoid them, he resolved to go to the other side of the lake, and commanded his disciples to accompany him. Upon this, a scribe, who happened to be present, offered to follow him, Matthew 8:19 but Jesus, knowing that he had nothing in view but the pleasures and profits of the supposed kingdom, would not accept of his service; telling him, that he was quite mistaken if he proposed to better his worldly circumstances by attending him. The phrase Son of man is found in Daniel 7:13 where the universal dominion to which the Messiah, in quality of the Son of man, was to be raised, is described. It is the appellation which the Lord Jesus Christ commonly gives himself; and as he was called so by none but himself, it is plain that he chose the title out of humility, as having some relation to his mean and humble appearance in this world. Son of man, in the prophets Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah, does not so much denote the human nature, as the frailty and weakness of man; and in this sense undoubtedly the expression is used, Psalms 8:4; Psalms 146:3. The Lord Jesus Christ takes care indeed to lay a stress upon it, when he would make his power and authority known. See ch. Matthew 9:6 Matthew 12:8. &c. but he certainly made use of it for this end, that he might rectify the mistaken notions which they had formed of the nature of his kingdom, and to give them to understand that the way he was to enter into glory was through sufferings and the cross. See Beausobre and Lenfant. Instead of lay his head, Matthew 8:20 we may read, rest his head.
To depart unto the other side— Let it be remarked, once for all, that passing or crossing this lake or sea does not always denote sailing from the east side to the west, or inversely; though the river Jordan, both above and below the lake, ran southwards. The lake was of such a form, that, without any impropriety, it might be said to he crossed in other directions, even by those who kept on the same side of the Jordan.